Latest news with #Usher
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Robin Thicke, 48, finally marries model April Love Geary, 30, after six-year engagement
After a six-year engagement, Robin Thicke, 48, has finally married his longtime fiancee April Love Geary, 30. The couple tied the knot on Friday during a lavish ceremony held in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, as the bride - who has welcomed three children with Thicke - walked down the aisle in a stunning white lace gown and a long ruffled veil. Geary shared footage from the wedding to her Instagram Story, offering fans their first glimpse at the seaside nuptials, and also shared a photo of herself holding back tears at the altar as Thicke appeared to deliver his vows into a microphone. In a loving gesture to his late father Alan Thicke, Robin and April kept a seat in the front row empty. Alan died in 2016 at the age of 69. Geary's video revealed that Alan's chair had 'In Loving Memory Of Alan Thicke' posted on the back of it. She also shared a short clip of her own father walking her down the aisle as their guests looked on. Robin wore a black tuxedo and held hands with the couple's two-year-old son Luca Patrick, who served as ring bearer. Luca, also dressed in a black tux, carried a briefcase that read: 'Ring Security' April and Robin are also parents to daughters Lola Alain, four, and Mia Love, six, but the two girls did not appear in any of the videos shared to Instagram. It was revealed on Thursday that the guest list would include Leonardo DiCaprio, Usher, and Community star Ken Jeong, but they weren't shown in April's videos. The celebrations reportedly kicked off with a welcome dinner on Thursday and were expected to continue through the weekend, with guests arriving as early as Wednesday. On Wednesday, April took to her Instagram Stories to reveal just how nervous she felt ahead of her wedding weekend. 'I get married this weekend, and I leave tomorrow. And my nerves are so bad, like I honestly, all day, have felt like I'm going to vomit,' she admitted. 'And I'm just going over a checklist in my head of, like, all the things I need to pack, all the things I need to pack for the kids. And, like, of course I haven't packed anything yet. And I leave tomorrow and I'm an idiot. 'But oh my god, I'm so excited! But I'm literally, like, nauseous. Like, I feel like I'm actually going to throw up. Oh my god! I'm going to forget something important.' The next day, Geary shared excited airport snaps alongside her maid of honor and bridesmaids. 'Let's get y'all married! Cabo here we come!' they captioned the photos. Thicke proposed to Geary twice—first in December 2018, and again just last week outside the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in France. 'Robin surprised me during our trip to Cannes by proposing to me again with a new [Established Jewelry] ring,' April gushed on Instagram. 'I'm so obsessed with [the ring], thank you! This trip was such a dream. I love you so much @robinthicke.' In April, Geary offered a peek into her bridesmaid dress shopping experience by posting a carousel of photos showing her trying on various gowns. 'Thank you so much @azaziebridal for the best day! My bridesmaids are so happy with their dresses! And thank you for letting me try on some dresses for fun,' she wrote. She added 'We honestly had so much fun and you guys went above and beyond. Thanks for taking care of all of us.' Thicke and Geary began dating in 2014, just months after Thicke's split from his wife of 10 years, actress Paula Patton. He and Patton, who finalized their divorce in 2015, also share 14-year-old son Julian Fuego. Back in 2016, Thicke and Geary sparked secret wedding rumors after getting matching tattoos on their ring fingers to mark their second anniversary. But as the sweet videos now confirm, they waited until now to make it official. Thicke's first proposal took place during a family dinner on Christmas Eve, and Geary wrote on Instagram at the time: 'YES YES 1000x YES.' The singer previously revealed the couple were busy planning their wedding and had hoped to tie the knot in 2024.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Have you ever overhyped a hobby on social media to impress your crush? You might suffer from Downbaditis
It was mid-winter when I found myself shivering on a slippery rock, staring out to sea. The waves in front of me were growling and my gut responded in kind. Instead of listening to it, I wrestled into a wetsuit and pulled the goggles I'd had since year 5 over my head. I signalled my friend to start recording. Then, I walked in. By walked, I mean slipped. Violently. The ocean licked me off the rocks and sucked me under with glee. After a few seconds of panicked tumbling, I surfaced with a mouthful of salt water. My friend laughed. I laughed, then coughed, then laughed again. I was overjoyed because she had just recorded a moment I was sure would capture my crush's attention. It was a mission I was willing to complete at any cost. Even if that cost was my dignity. Or even, my life. I didn't know it at the time, but I was suffering from an illness known as Downbaditis. Put simply, it is a state of spiritual psychosis triggered by a crush and/or intense courting period. Victims of Downbaditis display an insatiable need for validation from their chosen suitor. Ironically, a suitor's ineligibility may worsen symptoms. These include, but are not limited to: overhyping hobbies, appearing effortlessly hot on Instagram Stories and pretending you have ever gone for an 'ocean swim'. Being 'down bad' is not a new experience. Usher wrote about it in 2001 with U Got It Bad. The entire plot of The Great Gatsby revolves around Jay throwing lavish parties for Daisy's affection. Charli xcx extrapolated on this well-worn tradition in her sleeper hit Party 4 U. She even secured a cake, champagne and a party bag with purple pills, no less. Perhaps she'd watched The Matrix with her betrothed but she never got around to asking red or blue? It's hard to know but one thing's for sure: she was suffering from a critical case of Downbaditis. The modern strain of Downbaditis can be traced back to the invention of Snapchat Stories. It was the first time regular people could post their most banal daily goings-on without the judgment of a full Facebook post. You had permission to post every little thing, because it disappeared after 24 hours and could only be replied to via direct message. It felt so chill, so flippant, so unscripted, so real. You could pretend to love Drake without your friends pointing out you only knew Hotline Bling because it played on loop at the Foot Locker you worked at in 2016. Last week, I invited my Instagram community to share stories of times they had fallen prey to Downbaditis. The responses came in thick and fast. Some were vintage – like the woman who went to high school Christian group meetings despite being '1,000% an atheist'. Another played the clarinet for the entirety of her secondary education because there was a hot guy in the band. A third school-age memory was from someone who memorised every single AFL player's name in primary school so they could talk to the boy they liked. The illness is lifelong, you see. They grew all the more deranged as time wore on. Like the woman who wore off-the-shoulder tops for an entire year because her crush said he 'liked shoulders'. One respondent started learning Afrikaans after a first date. Another lied and said that they saw whales because their crush liked them. 'It wasn't whale season,' she said ominously. 'And he knew'. I also asked my audience to share times they had clocked that they were on the receiving end of someone's Downbaditis. One woman told me that her friend was seeing a guy who seemed sweet. 'On one of their first dates, he offered to order them some dinner. She said she'd like some chicken nuggets. They locked in and all was well until his flatmates came home. They couldn't believe their eyes because he'd been vegan for six years.' What I learnt while receiving responses was that Downbaditis strikes everyone. Every gender, every age. It is non-denominational and that is what makes it so dangerous. It is often only diagnosable after the fact. For me, I barely clock my Downbaditis until it's too late and I've bought a surfboard. Subscribers to attachment theory could argue that Downbaditis is a sign of anxious attachment. It could be. It could also be a feature of the human condition. At its core, Downbaditis is just yearning. A creative strain, for sure. To yearn is a treat – it means you are alive and open. Married people blow up their whole lives to feel it again. So I say yearn while you can. Take up Spanish to impress someone, like one guy I spoke to. 'I learnt it on Duolingo to impress a Chilean girl,' he told me. 'And now, whenever I see a loaf of bread, a voice of regret in my head sighs 'el pan'.' It hurts, but it's a lot more exciting than plain old bread. Lucinda Price is a writer, presenter and comedian
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Truth About Whether Usher Really Testified at Diddy's Trial After a Witness Name-Dropped Him
With the high profile trial underway, many people are wondering if Usher will be testifying at Diddy's trial. The two had a close relationship as the singer started out his career. Usher was one of Combs' earliest proteges after LA Reid signed the R&B singer to LaFace and Arista. They lived together when he was 13, and he recounted the times he had with the record mogul. 'I got a tutor, went to New York City, and he began to show me the ropes,' Usher told People. 'Some of the most valuable lessons I could ever learn as an entrepreneur were picked up when I spent that time in New York with him, this unwavering desire to create and make certain that your creative ideas executed.' More from StyleCaster The Truth to Claims Will Smith Testified Against Diddy After Shocking Willow Smith Rumors Obama Just Got Roped into Diddy's Trial in Shocking Claim Diddy is currently undergoing trial in Lower Manhattan after he was arrested in September 2024. He was charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty. He also faces dozens of civil lawsuits from individuals who accuse him of using his power to drug, assault, rape, intimidate and silence ex-girlfriend Cassie took the stand to testify about their relationship and the freak-offs she encountered. 'Freak-offs' were drug-fueled sex sessions with male prostitutes that could last several days and made her feel 'disgusting' and 'humiliated.' Many famous celebrities were name-dropped in the trial such as Barack Obama, and Kid Cudi testified about how Diddy allegedly torched his car. Usher did not testify in Diddy's trial. It's uncertain whether or not he will take the stand. Usher was mentioned in a witness testimony by Dawn Richard, where Diddy allegedly punched Cassie in the stomach in a restaurant in West Hollywood, Calif. in 2010. 'Mr. Combs punched Cassie in the stomach,' Richard testified May 19, according to NBC News. 'They were having a private conversation, and he punched her in the stomach. She immediately leaned over and left.' In attendance were the 'DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love' singer, singer Ne-Yo, record exec Jimmy Iovine and rapper Big Daddy Kane. The Danity Kane singer also testified that Diddy had another altercation with Cassie after they left the restaurant. 'We got in the car to head back to her house,' Richard continued in her testimony. 'Combs grabbed her, slapped her, popped her in the mouth and told her to shut the f–k up. Everyone was quiet the rest of the ride.' In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2004, Usher described what Diddy introduced him to as 'a totally different set of s***—sex, specifically.' He told the publication, 'Sex is so hot in the industry, man. There was always girls around. You'd open a door and see somebody doing it, or several people in a room having an orgy. You never knew what was going to happen.' Diddy's trial is set to conclude in July. Other people who have testified included Combs' former assistant David James, Cassie's mother Regina Ventura, hotel staff, and two male of StyleCaster The 26 Best Romantic Comedies to Watch if You Want to Know What Love Feels Like These 'Bachelor' Secrets & Rules Prove What Happens Behind the Scenes Is So Much Juicier BTS's 7 Members Were Discovered in the Most Unconventional Ways
Fox News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Usher, Obama name-dropped in Diddy's trial as sex trafficking case heats up
As week 3 of Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial begins, multiple celebrities have already been name-dropped during testimony. Usher, former President Barack Obama, Biggie Smalls and Jennifer Lopez are a few A-list names that came up during testimony as Diddy's jury heard from his former assistants, ex-associates and his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. Diddy's trial began May 5 with jury selection. Opening statements were presented on May 12, and the disgraced music mogul appeared in court to sit through testimony from Cassie, her mother, former Homeland Security Investigations agents, plus singers Dawn Richard and Kid Cudi. Here's a look at all the celebrities mentioned so far. Sean "Diddy" Combs' former assistant, David James, testified on May 20 that the rapper typically carried "25 to 30" undisclosed pill bottles. According to James, some of the pills were ecstasy. "Can you describe the ecstasy that you saw him taking?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Slavik asked. "There were various pills, but there was one that was in the shape of a former president's face," James explained. "Which former president?" the prosecutor questioned. "President Obama," James answered. Former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard testified that Usher was at a dinner where Sean "Diddy" Combs allegedly punched Cassie Ventura in the stomach. "We were having a private conversation, and we were all sitting, eating at the tables together," Richard recalled during her testimony. "When I say we, I mean some Bad Boy, some of our other label, and even some celebrities were in the room. And they were secretly arguing, and he punched her in the stomach. Sean Combs punched her in the stomach." "She immediately bent over and then was – he was – he told her to leave because I could see him point out, and she went out and left the room," she added. Richard claimed music executive Harve Pierre, two of Diddy's assistants, the rapper's security and Kaleena Harper were present for the West Hollywood dinner. During cross-examination, it was revealed that Richard hadn't mentioned all of the celebrities at the dinner. "Usher was there, Jimmy Iovine was there, Ne-Yo came through," Richard eventually added. "There were a few others, too. I don't recall those people, but those are the ones I remember talking to." Kid Cudi was first mentioned in Cassie Ventura's testimony on May 14, when she said Sean "Diddy" Combs had allegedly gone through her phone at a "freak off" and found an email correspondence between her and the rapper. Cassie and Cudi, whose full name is Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, dated in 2011 when she was on a break in her relationship with Diddy. Cudi took the stand May 22 and testified about an alleged break-in that occurred at his home the day Diddy found out the "Pursuit of Happiness" singer was dating Cassie Ventura. According to Cudi, his car was set on fire a month later. "I reached out to Sean Combs after my car had caught fire and … finally told him that we needed to meet up to talk," Cudi testified. "He had been wanting to talk to me. So, after the fire, I was like, 'This is getting out of hand/ I need to talk to him.'" "Why was it Mr. Combs you reached out to after the fire?" Cudi was asked in court. "Because I knew he had something to do with it," Cudi claimed before Judge Arun Subramanian sustained an objection from Diddy's defense. The jury was then instructed to disregard the musician's last answer. Diddy was never charged in the investigation into the alleged break-in or car fire. Biggie Smalls, or Christopher George Latore Wallace, has been mentioned a few times in Diddy's sex trafficking trial. Biggie was killed in a drive-by shooting at age 24 in 1997. During the testimony of Diddy's former assistant, George Kaplan, it was revealed that the music mogul used the name "Frank Black" when booking his hotel reservations. James also revealed that Diddy used the name "Frank Black" when booking his hotel reservations. "I think it was a reference to Biggie," Kaplan told the jury before adding, "I think that [Biggie's] nickname was Frank White." Kaplan also testified that May 21 was a paid holiday for employees at Combs Enterprises because it was Biggie's birthday. Former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard testified in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking trial. Richard told the jury Diddy threatened her to remain quiet about the alleged abuse of his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. Richard told the court that one day after an alleged altercation in which she "observed Cassie being attacked," the "Missing You" rapper told her it was par for the course in a normal relationship. Diddy and Richard were in the recording studio when he allegedly said that what was witnessed the day before was "passion" and what people in relationships do. He claimed Cassie was OK and that it was best if they didn't say anything. The rapper allegedly said that where he's from, people go missing. She testified that she heard his words to mean that people end up dead. Cassie Ventura's former makeup artist testified she also worked for Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez. Mylah Morales claimed she worked for Sean "Diddy" Combs from 2000 until 2005. "After you stopped working for Mr. Combs, who is the next artist that you worked with?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey asked in court Thursday. According to Morales, she worked with Rihanna for 13 years along with Jennifer Lopez. "Are there others that you're not remembering right now?" Comey asked. "Yeah, there's so many," Morales responded. "It's like a long list of names." At one point, Sean "Diddy" Combs suspected Cassie was in a relationship with actor Michael B. Jordan. Cassie testified that she broke up with Diddy in 2015 while in South Africa for a movie. She told Diddy's defense lawyer during cross-examination that someone had reached out to her about being at an event, but Cassie wasn't actually there. She testified that she eventually learned Combs was at the event with Gina, another woman he had been seeing. Cassie admitted to being angry because she thought Gina was no longer in the picture. Cassie explained she cut off contact with Combs, blocked him and focused on the movie. Diddy began to suspect she was in a relationship with Jordan, but Cassie testified she didn't remember his reaction. On May 19, Cassie's former friend, Kerry Morgan, testified to the singer's connection with Jordan. Morgan testified that she did not know much, just that they were speaking at the time. She emphasized that Cassie was not with Diddy at this time, but the rapper was allegedly jealous. David James, Sean "Diddy" Combs' former personal assistant, testified about a run-in with Suge Knight during his testimony Tuesday. James recalled driving with Diddy's security guard to Mel's Diner to get food after a late night at the studio when they ran into the Death Row Records chair. The two allegedly left after four black SUVs pulled into the parking lot and someone gave Knight a gun. James said he drove D-Roc, Diddy's security guard, and the rapper back to the diner, per Diddy's request. Combs was allegedly in the back seat with three handguns in his lap. However, they did not see Knight at the diner and Combs allegedly told James to drive around the block. The former personal assistant testified he was "really shook up by it" and that it was the first time working for Diddy where he thought his life was in danger. They went back to New York and James gave his six months notice. Sean "Diddy" Combs' defense team revealed during testimony on May 15 that the rapper brought Britney Spears to Cassie Ventura's 21st birthday party. Diddy's defense lawyer, Anna Estevao, took Cassie back to the beginning of the former couple's relationship during her cross-examination. At Cassie's 21st birthday party, Combs brought Dallas Austin and Britney Spears. Cassie and Diddy had seemingly just begun seeing each other romantically. Cassie's former makeup artist testified that she first saw injuries on the singer's face in 2010 during Grammys weekend. Mylah Morales told the jury she saw Cassie had injuries to her face after an alleged physical altercation between the singer and Sean "Diddy" Combs. She claimed there had been a party at Prince's home. Morales claimed she noticed the injury late at night or early in the morning. Bruce Willis was brought up during Cassie's testimony in Diddy's trial. Cassie told Diddy she was "at the edge of tears" in an emotional text exchange shown in court about his private family life. Cassie wrote, "As much as you think you're Bruce Willis, you aren't. He's married and before he was married, the family as a whole went on trips together, or just with him and his woman. Eddie Murphy and Paige took his kids away on their own." "He didn't go with his ex because that's not who he's in love with. I've been at the edge of tears this whole week. I don't think that you sympathize with my feelings."
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I tasted the hottest fried chicken in London that's so spicy I had to sign a legal waiver - and it took 24 hours for the pain to fully subside
If you want to impress your mates with your high tolerance for spice, a new restaurant chain in the UK has a fresh challenge for you. Dave's Hot Chicken, which specialises in Nashville-style burgers and strips, has just opened its first UK branch in Shaftesbury Avenue in central London. The chain, which first opened in Los Angeles in 2017, now boasts over 200 restaurants across the US and counts Drake, Usher and Samuel L. Jackson among its celebrity fans. Famously, it offers a notoriously spicy 'Reaper' burger, covered in red-hot batter, said to reduce even the most hardened of chilli lovers to tears. Although the batter recipe is a closely-guarded secret, the key ingredient is powdered Carolina Reaper, the second-hottest chilli pepper in the world. Carolina Reaper registers a whopping 1.6 million on the Scoville scale, the internationally-accepted system used to measure the heat of chillis. So it's little surprise that customers can only order the Reaper if they are 18 or over and sign a legal waiver. MailOnline's Assistant Science Editor, Jonathan Chadwick, went along to try the Reaper for lunch - unaware he was about to experience 24 hours of pain. Dave's Hot Chicken, originally founded in a card park in East Hollywood, offers seven spice levels – Plain, Lite Mild, Mild, Medium, Hot, Extra Hot and Reaper. Before my Reaper is prepared, I have to sign the lengthy waiver, which ensures I can't bring legal action forward against Dave's if something goes wrong. It reads: 'Due to its extremely spicy nature, eating Dave's Hot Chicken REAPER is an extreme test of a person's physical and mental limits. 'Before ordering the REAPER, you should ensure that you have sufficient experience in eating very spicy food and understand and are able to accept the associated risks.' According to the waiver, Reaper can cause 'sweating, indigestion, shortness of breath, allergic reactions, vomiting and diarrhoea', but in extreme cases, it can even lead to 'chest pain, heart palpitations, heart attack and stroke'. If I was nervous before, after meticulously reading the entire waiver, I'm now really quite scared. Is it possible a portion of fried chicken could do me irreparable damage? The single Reaper chicken tender, costing £3.99, arrives on a slice of white bread with pickles and secret sauce, which is apparently true to Nashville tradition. It's certainly an angry-looking piece of food – a hellish red colour, curled upwards like the devil's toenail. The lengthy legal waiver: I initially thought the waiver was some kind of PR stunt, but it actually has a very serious purpose. Why does chilli hurt? The chemical in a chilli pepper that causes the burning sensation in your mouth is called capsaicin. It binds to a receptor in your mouth and on your tongue called TRPV1 - the same receptor that tells you when something on your skin is too hot. Capsaicin is a hydrophobic (water-repelling) molecule, so if you reach for a glass of ice-cold water, you're not going to wash any capsaicin away. In fact, you'll end up distributing it around your mouth, making the pain even worse. A better option is milk, which contains a protein called casein, which can break down capsaicin. Source: Royal Society of Chemistry To line my stomach first, I eat the mild chicken burger with chips, served with special sauce and pickles (all delicious), before turning my attention to the Reaper. I've read milk is good to quell spicy heat in the mouth because it contains a protein called casein, which can break down capsaicin, the compound in chilli that makes your mouth hurt. So I make sure I have a large vanilla milkshake handy, as well as a Sprite with plenty of ice. Staff also supply Reaper customers with protective gloves and little plastic pots of honey, which are supposed to quell the heat (they don't). For the first seven seconds after taking a big bite, it feels like the hype around the Reaper has been exaggerated – but the intense burn suddenly takes off like a bullet. As Johnny Cash's 'Ring of Fire' starts playing on the loudspeakers, the heat-sensitive pain receptors in my mouth are triggered – and I soon turn into a total, sticky mess. Sweat flows from every pore of my face and snot dribbles from my nose, and I can't wipe the tears from my eyes because I don't want to touch them with my messy gloved hands. Struggling somewhat with my coordination, I slosh milkshake over my trousers and the floor. Reaper is ludicrously, idiotically hot. And it's caught me off-guard. You know when food pretends to be really hot, using words like 'fiery' and 'flamin' on the packaging? And then you eat it and it's hardly hot at all? Well, the Reaper experience at Dave's is nothing like that. Until now, the hottest thing I've ever eaten is a Vindaloo, but the Reaper fried chicken easily takes the cake. I just can't do another bite. It takes about 40 minutes for the worst of the pain to go away, but even then I'm not out of the woods yet. Reaper is a 24-hour experiment on your body. As it travels, it inflicts different types of pain – burning numbness in the mouth, aching stomach, and, perhaps worst of all, the morning-after sensation of a red hot poker in the worst place imaginable. Still, it feels very wasteful to just have one bite, so I take the rest of the Reaper back to the MailOnline office and cut it into small portions. A few brave souls give it a try, including my fellow science reporter Wil Hunter, who shortly has to have a lie down after suffering 'sudden stomach ache and cold sweats'. Fortunately no-one has a stroke or a heart attack, but as Dave's plans to roll out more restaurants around the UK this year, could it be a matter of time before a nasty health incident? According to a spokesperson for Dave's, there have not been any cases of people dying since it opened in the US eight years ago. Nevertheless, my advice, even for chili fans, is this: do not underestimate the heat of the Reaper. What is the Carolina Reaper? The Carolina Reaper is an extra-hot chilli pepper developed by American breeder Ed Currie between around 2001 and 2012. Carolina Reaper registers 1.6 million on the Scoville scale, the internationally-accepted system used to measure the heat of chillis. Between 2013 and 2023, Carolina Reaper was certified the world's hottest chili pepper, according to Guinness World Records. But it was surpassed by the dreaded Pepper X, which was also developed by Currie - putting the Reaper in second place. Pepper X registers a whopping 2.6 million on the Scoville scale. The Scoville scale is based on the concentration of capsaicin, which is an active component of chilli peppers and causes a burning sensation when it makes contact with human tissue. Currie said in an interview with the Associated Press when he first tried Pepper X, it did more than warm his heart. 'I was feeling the heat for three-and-a-half hours. Then the cramps came,' said Currie. 'Those cramps are horrible. I was laid out flat on a marble wall for approximately an hour in the rain, groaning in pain.'
